The Legend of Granny Smith

Nobody's sure how she got the name 'Granny Smith'. Prob'ly given her by some young lads scrumping apples in her orchard. She'd always hated them kids stealing her apples and would chase 'em off waving her broom like a crazy person. Her real name was Mildred Morgan and she weren't crazy - eccentric maybe, but not crazy.

Granny was buried in her own apple orchard, just like she wanted. Expect you've seen her grave out the edge of town, right next to Wilson's iron works. The orchard's long gone - thank city sprawl for that. Granny woulda hated it if she knew. Some says she does know ...

Tom and Jack Parsons saw her once. At least they think they did. Tom and Jack had been lifting a pint or two down at the Rusty Door. Not sure whether it was cider or beer they was swigging, but Rusty himself swore he'd been pouring aplenty o' something for 'em. Anyways, the pair came rolling out a' there 'round midnight and saw her. Not brandishing a broom, mind you, but a big old shovel. Seems she were planting something. Tom and Jack swear it.

'Course folks didn't believe 'em at first, so Tom and Jack talked Ned Archer inta going with 'em and checking things out. They found three saplings planted right nigh to Granny's grave. A week later there were five, and a week after that seven.

That was the end of it - more or less. Granny don't bother nobody and that's a nice patch of green down there by the smokestacks. No, Granny don't bother nobody, 'cepting that some kids from the project over Grant Place say Granny chases 'em with a broom any time they try pinching an apple off one of them trees. Prob'ly just kids talking silly ...

But now one of them kids has up and disappeared.

© 2004 Margaret B. Davidson